


All the White and Black Keys

by gayalien



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, And has dyslexia, And is almost always a stuttering mess, And lots of drama will surface, Both are super cute and shy, But helplessly in love with each other, Eren Wants to Be a Writer, Levi is a Classical Pianist, Lots of Classic Lit References, M/M, POV Eren Yeager, POV Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Present Tense, The Smut Will Come Eventually, There Will Be Piano Sex, i'm sorry in advance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-19
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-04-21 08:46:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4822715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayalien/pseuds/gayalien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi is a classical pianist. Eren falls in love with his piano playing, and ultimately, him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. piano suite op. 1, no. 1 "prelude"

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like I should probably have a reference list for every source that I referred to before I even started writing this fanfiction. In short, this entire fanfiction is inspired by Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso (Your Lie in April), Shine (1996), and a LOT of classical music (I will list the pieces that Levi plays for each chapter). I did a lot of research on emotional and mental disorders and conditions, so most of this should hopefully be accurate in that respect.  
> 
> 
> This fanfiction was also heavily inspired by a set of digital illustrations of Levi playing the piano. I can't find the source of the original post, but I just thought I should mention that, because it pretty much acted as a stimulus for my writing. So thank you to whoever drew it.  
> 
> 
> When I wrote my first draft of the first chapter, I accidentally published it instead of saving it, so for the people who read that draft and are now reading this version, sorry for that confusion. I was surprised that even though I had not proof read that draft properly or polished it up yet, I still got a few responses, which gave me a nice dose of hope that people would enjoy reading it as I wrote more.  
> 
> 
> I am not entirely certain if this fanfiction will contain explicit content or not yet, but I did originally plan to, so I will be leaving the mature warning on until I decide otherwise. I have most of the main scenes of this fanfiction in my head, and I am essentially filling the spaces in between as I go, so if I decide that the lewd scenes fit well, I will change the mature warning to explicit. If not, it should not change, and I will still state this in future notes.  
> 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren encounters Levi for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still experimenting with pacing and word lengths of chapters, but I hope that I've got the general structure of it. Writing in chapters is still a generally new concept to me, but it's pretty fun though. There's a lot of freedom, and a lot of words to work with. I hope that I get the swing of it in a few chapters or so. I apologise if my writing style fluctuates throughout the series. This fanfiction is more or less going to be an experimental writing project of mine. I can tell that this is going to be fun. Anyway. Enjoy.
> 
> Pieces Levi Plays in this Chapter:  
> J.S. Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BMV 1007 "Prelude": https://youtu.be/mhfxM5FOzjQ

**_Eren POV._ **

It was during Autumn that I first encountered Levi Ackerman. He was perched upon a piano stool, situated on the centre of the stage with a singular spotlight illuminating his face in the otherwise absolute darkness. The tips of his fingers cavorted up and down the white and black keys of the piano. Levi seemed minuscule hunching over the grand piano of the darkest black, but his sound was much larger than that of the instrument more than twice his size. The sound resonated between the hollow auditorium walls and filled my ears with the sweet melody. The melody of Bach's 'Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major' that was mostly commonly played by the rich sound of the cello had never sounded as gorgeous as the sound of the piano as Levi played it then. I had not seen anyone as content as he was, his eyes closed, and his hair slicked back behind his ears, cloaked in the sharpest, unblemished dark tailcoat. It was the first time that I had seen Levi as enchanting as he was to be playing the piano then, and it was also the last time.

* * *

I am not especially interested in any aspect of the piano, yet I find myself waiting outside of auditorium doors to watch a classical piano performance. My current roommate (whom I have known since elementary school), Mikasa, is playing in the performance and I concluded that I would come to watch for two reasons. A.) I have nothing else to do, and B.) no one else would have come if I didn't. Armin, my other roommate, is at a lecture, which means that he can't come, and aside from myself, Mikasa doesn't really know anyone outside of her music lecture. So I took it upon myself to make it to the conservatory of music 30 minutes early to watch her perform on stage, despite Armin and I listening to her practice her performance piece essentially every day for months. I can even remember the full name of the piece - 'Impromptu No. 4 In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 66 "Fantaisie Impromptu"' composed by Frederic Chopin. What little classical musicians I know is courtesy of Mikasa, whose titles take very long to memorise, and very quick to forget. Aside from that, my knowledge of classical music is very limited. For that exact reason, I am slightly intimidated by the music majors that are passing by me in the conservatory. Can they tell that I'm not musical? Can they tell that I'm pathetically inadequate with classical music knowledge, and anything to do with music? In fear of this, I avoid obtaining eye contact and initiating any conversations. I fiddle with my fingers and look downwards, as if there is something profoundly interesting on the ground. I promptly scan the hallway, in search for a clock until my eyes rest on one placed just above my eye level. There are 15 minutes until the performance starts. I am starting to wish that I didn't arrive as early as I did. I allow a deep exhale to escape from my lips, and allow my shoulders to loosen. As I do, I hear a muffled melody beginning to play from within the doors. A melody played by a piano.

That's unusual. There's still 15 minutes until the performance. Perhaps they're sound checking, or warming up?

The melody is familiar. Sweet sounding. I feel myself becoming curious, and I lean my ear against the auditorium door, but the sound doesn't become any clearer. Before I realise it, I am setting my hands on the door handle, and I am very slowly pulling it open. I don't even bother to check if anyone is watching me. I peer inside the gap, stepping inside, and closing the door behind me. The sound is much louder from the inside. The melody is reverberating inside the auditorium, bouncing back and fourth off the walls. I realise how large the auditorium is from the inside. There are several levels of seating area that form around the stage, acting as an amphitheatre. The stage really is the centre of attention. It is then that I suddenly become very aware of the fact that the pianist and I are the only people in this auditorium at this moment. My eyes travel around the room before finally fixating on the centre of the stage, where there is a young man perched upon a piano stool, hunching over a grand piano of the darkest colour. A singular spotlight illuminates his face among the darkness of the auditorium. I can see his face in almost absolute clarity. His eyelids are closed, and his long, jet-black hair is groomed back behind his ears. I gather that he is probably not much older than myself. I can see a slight curl pulling at the edge of his lips into a gentle smile. His fingers are cavorting up and down all the white and black keys. His upper body is swaying along with the melody; arching his back with the higher notes of the melody, and bending downwards with the lower notes. I have never seen anyone as content as he is right now to be playing the piano. It is beautiful. Even I know that.

As the last note of the piano rings out, I see the man's fingers break away from the keys gracefully. His body relaxes, and he faces up towards the ceiling. The man does not open his eyes, and instead remains in that position for a mere moment. It is very blissful to watch him like this.

"Levi Ackerman!" an abrupt voice suspends the silence. The young man, who I now assume to be Levi, reacts to this. Levi's eyes shoot open, and I swear that I see a twitch in his left brow. His curled lips disband, and almost instantly form a scowl. His previously content expression is replaced with a grim and aggravated appearance.

"Clear the stage, the audience will be coming in five minutes from now!" Levi does not argue these orders, but he doesn't exactly look pleased either. He swiftly stands up from his stool and folds his arms. As he stands, I see that Levi is cloaked in a dark tailcoat, with a white cravat neatly tucked into his collar. I also notice that he is a lot shorter than he initially he appears. Shorter than I am, at the very least. This thought amuses me for some reason.

"I apologise," Levi utters in the direction of the voice. His voice is deep and monotone. It corresponds with his stern expression. I observe his general appearance before glancing up to his eyes, I can't distinguish what colour they are from this distance. I have a sudden urge that wishes I could. As I am observing his eyes, I realise that they are trailing back in my direction. I freeze. I have a sudden realisation that I shouldn't be inside the auditorium yet, and I frantically scurry outside, too careless to shut the door quietly. I'm not sure if he saw me, but I really hope that he did not. I am in the hallway again, bracing against the door. I back away from it slowly and make an effort to hide in the crowd of people now waiting for the piano performance. They are all preoccupied, and no one seems to have noticed what just happened.  _Thank god._  I notice that my pulse has quickened, and I allow myself to inhale a few deep breaths before returning to my normal persona. The auditorium doors open from the inside not long after, and the crowd of awaiting people begin to enter the auditorium. I follow shortly behind.

* * *

I am sitting near the middle back row of the auditorium. Besides myself, there isn't anyone else sitting in this row, which is precisely why I intended to sit here. Clusters of people pile into the auditorium at a time, and I counterfeit being dazed by the auditorium, as if I had not been here before. This statement would have been true less than 10 minutes ago. I divert myself from this thought and instead remember why I am here. I am here to watch Mikasa play the piano. I've heard her play countless times before, but this instance is different. This time she's playing in an auditorium, in front of a public audience. She mentioned something about needing to perform in front of an audience in order to reach the requirements for her assignment. There will be other students from her class performing as well. I wonder if they play as well as Mikasa does. Then a sudden thought enters my mind.

_Will Levi perform too?_

Which is followed by another thought.

_Wait. Why do I care?_

Before I can devise an answer, my thoughts are discontinued when I notice someone pass by me who sits three seats from my right. I glance at them once, then I look again. And I realise who it is.

It's Levi Ackerman.

As I realise this, the lights begin to dim and a spotlight focuses on the grand piano, blurring everything else out of vision. I should be gazing at the stage, but my eyes cannot deflect from Levi. I can't shake the feeling of how alarmingly aware I am of his presence. He is right there beside me, and I cannot think of anything else. I come to my senses when the audience applauds a pianist onto the stage. I clap along slowly, although slightly delayed. The pianist begins to play, but I am not watching. I can't steer my gaze away from Levi now. I examine him from his side. His arms are folded tight, his legs are crossed, and his eyes are engrossed in the performance on the stage. Under this light, or rather, a lack of light, he appears expressionless. He looks wholly different from when I saw him playing the piano not much earlier. He even looks intimidating, and it's kind of discouraging. I finally look away from him and instead stare at the stage vacantly. I watch the rest of the performance without peering in his direction. It doesn't take me long to forget that he's there.

* * *

I am outside the auditorium in the hallway again. The piano performance has finished, and I am waiting for Mikasa to come out. I am leaning against the wall, occasionally sipping from a cup of water I retrieved from the refreshments table. In the corner of my eye, I can see Mikasa approaching me with a bit of a skip in her walk. Her face is beaming, and I can tell that she is pleased with her performance, which is only to be expected. She's wearing a long red dress with frills at the hems, and I notice that her hair has been done up nicely. She's even wearing makeup, which is unusual as I haven't seen her with makeup before.

"How was I?" she asks when she reaches me, sounding exhausted.

"You were great," I answer. She looks relieved that I said that.

"Really? Thank you!" I can hear the excitement in her voice, and it's contagious. I can feel a smile forming upon my face as well. We exchange a friendly glance and laugh a little for no real reason. A man approaches Mikasa from behind, and as he comes closer, I realise who it is.

It's Levi.

"Mikasa," he says swiftly, "you played very well."

"Thanks," she replies, her smile not dimming. My eyes bounce from Mikasa to Levi and back again. Do they know each other somehow? Mikasa must notice the bewilderment on my face.

"This is Levi Ackerman. He's in my music lecture," she explains, turning to me, "and this is Eren Jaeger. He's my roommate," she says, turning to Levi. His eyes encounter mine for the first time, and he stares at me intently. I follow his eyes as he observes me head to toe.

"I see," he says finally. "Pleasure to meet you," he greets me casually, holding out his hand before me to shake.

"Pleasure to meet you too," I reply in a similar tone as I shake his hand. His hand is frigid and rough, but it shakes mine carefully.

"I'm going to get changed. Wait here, okay?" Mikasa says, looking at the both of us. She leaves before I have the chance to say anything, and I am left alone with Levi. Neither of us says anything, or even looks at the other. I observe the hallway and the people in it, attempting to look occupied. I can see Levi in the corner of my eye, leaning against the wall beside me with his arms folded, checking the time on his watch unusually frequently. The silence is painfully awkward, and I try to fill the gap in our conversation by sipping the water from my cup. It doesn't help at all.

"Say, Eren..." he says suddenly, taking me by surprise, "do you want my attention for some reason?" he asks. This question astonishes me so much that I choke on my water.

"U-Um, what do you mean...?" I manage through my coughs.

"You seemed to be staring at me during the piano performance," he says bluntly. I feel my cheeks suddenly become warm, and I know that I must be blushing. He noticed that I was staring at him.  _How embarrassing._

"A-Ah, well..." I stutter, twiddling my thumbs, "i-it really isn't important..." I don't know what I'm trying to say. I can barely speak through my stutters and stammers. Levi raises his left brow as I speak, looking at me curiously. Then his hand launches into his pocket.

"Hm. Well, if you decide it's worth talking about," he pulls out a slip of paper from his pocket, "meet me at this location at 9:00pm," he says smoothly, handing it to me. He wants me to meet him at a location. _What exactly am I going to tell him? That I saw him play before the performance, and that's it?_  I don't ask him any of these questions, and I instead take the slip of paper politely. I give him a weak smile.

"O-Oh, thanks..." I utter, and he walks away without saying anything. As he leaves, I look down at the address on the slip of paper. It looks like he had written the address in a hurry. I can barely read his handwriting. Then I realise something peculiar.

The address had already been written on the slip of paper before he approached me. Did he write it beforehand? Was he planning to do this?

I'm not certain, but I know one thing.

I'm going.


	2. piano solo op. 1, no. 2 "flight of the bumblebee"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Levi properly introduce each other at a bar. Levi gets shitfaced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: In this AU, both Levi and Eren are of legal age to drink alcohol.
> 
> The piano scene in this chapter is closely based from this scene in Shine (1996): https://youtu.be/8_p6-cAMr_g
> 
> Eren's outfit is based from this picture: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/78/c3/1b/78c31b443e1c4a1192dc61c2be9b0855.jpg
> 
> The music that Levi's band plays is mostly smooth jazz music, so pretty much any jazz playlist on YouTube should help set the mood. Also, this instrumental serves as pretty great background music for Levi and Eren's private talk at the bar: https://youtu.be/shBNLnvLXmw
> 
> Pieces Levi Plays in this Chapter:  
> Flight of the Bumblebee: https://youtu.be/44YyT1IkkL4

My fingers grasp on each end of the slip of paper. My eyes are scanning down at the address, and then up at the building in front of me. I'm currently standing on the doorstep of the entrance to what appears to be a bar, and I decide to peek through the translucent windows from outside the building. Inside, the room is dimly lit, shrouding the room with an orange and reddish tint. I can hear stifled jazz music, excited chatter, and the sounds of glasses and cutlery colliding with another. Bodies of people are seated at large dining tables, high bar stools, and on the lounges that surround an elevated stage. I can't see Levi from this angle, and he's not waiting outside. I back away from the entrance, and I examine my reflection in the darkly tinted glass door before me. I observe my features. My hair is the colour of dark caramel that curls at the ends. It parts from the middle and falls lazily over my green eyes. I'm wearing a black and white striped t-shirt with a loose-fitting green cardigan over the top. It slings off my shoulders slightly, and the sleeves reach to my fingertips. My navy blue jeans are frayed, but comfortable, and I'm wearing a pair of sneakers. I wonder if I'm dressed too casual, but it's too late to be concerned about it now. I'm already here. I check my watch, which I wore for this specific reason, and there are 10 minutes until it's 9:00pm, the time he asked me to meet him here. I look at the address in my hands and up at the building a final time. The addresses match perfectly, but I'm hesitant. I inhale and exhale deeply to soothe myself.  _What could go wrong?_  I ask myself, then I pull the doors open and step inside.

As soon as I enter, my ears are greeted with the thumping of a bass, the sharpness of a saxophone, the strum of a guitar, the thrash of a drum, and the contrasting tender melody of a piano. Loud conversations, laughter, and the sound of people clapping along to the music sweep over the entire room. There isn't a single gap in the noise that fills the space between the walls. The atmosphere is warm and laid-back, and I feel somewhat at ease, but simultaneously timid as I don't go to bars often. I walk further inside the bar, not entirely certain where to meet Levi, but I continue hoping that I will eventually find him, or vice versa. I come across the elevated stage, and I decide to sit down and watch the performance until I see Levi. I take a seat, and I begin to observe the stage. There is a small band of musicians on the stage, each allocated to an instrument. There is a saxophone, an electric guitar, a double bass, and a drum kit that fills the stage. Near the far side of the stage, there is baby grand piano. Each musician is playing a fast-paced jazz piece, all perfectly in sync with each other. I can barely keep up with them.

Their performance ends, and the saxophone player approaches the microphone. She has pretty amber eyes and shoulder-length ginger hair. She's too short for the microphone stand, and has to adjust it in order to speak into it.

"Thank you all for coming tonight! We play at this bar every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evening! We hope to see you again!" as she says this, the audience members collectively applaud her, and I do the same. I watch as the musicians pack away their instruments and sound equipment. My eyes seize a glimpse of the pianist as they stand up from their stool, and it is in that exact moment that I realise why Levi asked me to meet him here. It is because this is his gig. He's the pianist. And this is his band. I observe him without saying anything for a while. His hair is unkempt and drapes over his darkly coloured eyes. His brows are furrowed, and his body seems tense. He's wearing suspenders over a red flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and the hems tucked tightly into his black pants. He looks different from before, but it doesn't strike me as a bad thing. He reaches for a bottle perched on top of the piano and drinks from it. Some of the water misses his mouth and rolls onto his chin, down to his neck.

"Levi!" I call out to him loudly over the noise. He reacts to his name, and his eyes search the room until they find mine. His facial expression seems to lighten a little. He places the bottle back onto the piano, leaves the stage, and makes his way slowly towards me. He has both hands tucked deep into his pockets.

"Eren," he says sternly, his eyes nimbly scanning over me.

"Levi," I mimic his tone of voice, holding his heavy gaze.

"Want to get a drink?" he asks.

"O-Oh, I don't--"

"Oi, Levi! We played quite well tonight, didn't we?" these words slip lazily from the lips of a man whose arm now slings around Levi's neck. The man has lightly coloured hair and tight curls, and although he is talking close to Levi's face, his eyes aren't looking directly at him. His cheeks are flushed, and in one hand, he's holding a bottle of alcohol.

"Indeed, Oluo," Levi says coldly, cuffing his arm away. The man, who I now assume to be Oluo, lets out a whine and mutters something vulgar under his breath. I recognise who Oluo is after watching him with Levi for a minute. He is the man who was playing the double bass on the stage before. He is apart of Levi's band. He  _knows_  him. The rest of the band approaches from the stage and crowds around Levi.

"And who have you got here?" Oluo asks, swinging the bottle in his hand carelessly, and leaning in close to my face. A little bit too close for my liking.

"This is Eren Jaeger," Levi says with his arms folded, his eyes gesturing towards me. "Eren, this is my band. Eld is our guitarist, Gunther is the percussionist, Oluo is the bassist, and Petra is our saxophone player," he introduces, and they all smile warmly at me. All except for Oluo, who scowls and squashes his eyebrows in disapproval. Levi elbows him hard in the gut.

"Pleasure to meet you, Eren," they say collectively (Oluo doesn't participate).

"I-It's a pleasure to meet you too!" I fumble over my words at first. Levi suddenly clears his throat.

"Eren and I are going to get a drink. We'll see you guys later," he announces smoothly, giving his band members a sign of dismissal.

"See you," they say at different times. Before I can protest, Levi walks swiftly towards the bar, and I follow behind him. We reach the bar, and Levi takes a seat on a high chair. I sit one seat beside him, leaving him space just in case he wants personal space. Just in case he's decided that we're not that well-acquainted yet. He signals the bartender, and I watch as he orders a shot of whiskey with ice. The drink arrives shortly after, and he takes a small sip from it. As he sets the glass down, he opens his mouth to speak.

"So, Eren," Levi begins. "Tell me why you were staring at me during the piano performance." There is a smugness in his tone of voice, and the question takes me by surprise.

"U-Uh, er..." I stutter my words, fiddling with my fingers on my lap. "You see, the thing is... I saw you playing the piano before the performance," I sigh into the words.  _There's no way that I can explain this without sounding weird._  Levi raises his left brow. "I was waiting outside of the auditorium for the piano performance, and I heard you playing the piano. It sounded really wonderful, and I wanted to hear more of it, so I peeked inside. You looked so content playing the piano, and when I saw you sitting next to me in the auditorium, I was so curious that I..." I hesitate for a moment, holding onto those words. "I couldn't help but want to see you play again." My eyes are glued down to my lap, and I'm picturing Levi's reaction. _He's probably weirded out now. He'll probably want to leave after this._  But when I look up, he's not. Levi's eyes have slightly widened and his pupils have dilated. His face looks surprised, but not unpleasantly. I notice something else too. I might be wrong, but. I swear that he's blushing. Neither of us say anything for a while, and Levi's eyes remain focused on mine. He averts his gaze after a while longer, and he picks up his glass of whiskey. He skulls the rest of it, letting out an airy breath afterwards.

"You're not going to drink, Eren?" he says finally, signalling the bartender and ordering another shot.

"Uh, I don't drink," I reply reassuringly. Levi doesn't say anything to this, and I watch him skull a few more drinks.

* * *

I haven't seen anyone drunk before, but if I had to describe Levi right now, I would be confident in saying that Levi is pretty drunk. His flushed cheeks are coloured a warm pink, and his speech has become slurred to an extent that I've become accustomed to guessing what he's saying. He hiccups after each sentence and takes long pauses between words, as if he's forgotten what to say next.

I watch as his hand shakily reaches for his sixth shot of whiskey. The drink misses his mouth, and the liquid spills on his shirt. Levi, however, seems quite convinced that he drunk it.

"Mnnn... deliciousngg..." he practically moans, licking his lips, and a hiccup follows. I pull out a cloth from my pocket and I attempt to clean the mess on his shirt. It doesn't do much, but I continue just to be courteous. Levi holds the glass loosely in his hand, holding it high in front of my face.

"Wantt... aa zsip, Erenggg...?" he says. Which I assume is meant to be, _"Want a sip, Eren?"_ , referring to the drink in his glass. Or rather, referring to the drink that's supposed to be in his glass. I notice the quiver in his hand and I take the glass from him, setting it on the table to prevent him from breaking it somehow. In this state, he probably would.

"Levi, I think that's enough for you to drink--" as I'm saying this, my eyes peer over to the left to find Levi beginning to unbutton his shirt. Before I can process the situation, he's already lowering his suspenders and slipping the shirt off his shoulders. I feel myself blushing at the glimpse of his bare chest, and I can see his hands reaching for his belt.

"D-Don't take off your clothes here!" I shout louder than I initially intend to, feeling slightly (very) embarrassed. He stops, and his hands back away from his belt. He looks up at me with twinkling eyes and rose-coloured cheeks.

"Don'tt... take myh clothesz offhh...?" he slurs, pulling a distressed expression. It's kind of cute.

"Not here," I utter, my eyes looking at him. Levi's lips form into a pout, but he obediently slips his shirt back over his shoulders. His fingers fidget with the buttons on his shirt, and I watch him struggle with it for a minute purely for my amusement.

"I'll do it," I finally say after about a minute of watching him, approaching towards him slowly. I reach for the buttons on Levi's shirt, and I begin to do them up slowly. Starting from the top through to the bottom. I can see his eyes trailing me patiently in the corner of my eye. I reach for the last button, then I tuck the ends of his shirt inside his pants. I bring his suspenders over his shoulders, resting my hands on them.

"There you go," I say gently, but my hands don't move away from his shoulders. Levi suddenly places his hand upon my head, and he begins to play with my hair. His touch startles me at first. He curls my hair around his fingers, before gently releasing it. He ruffles my hair slowly, but playfully. I don't dislike the sensation. In fact, I don't even bother to stop him.

"Eren..." he murmurs, his lips barely moving. He looks up at me with glistening eyes, bearing the colour of grey, and his cheeks have reddened, as if he's blushing. I observe him intently, listening to what he might have to say. "Are you an angel...?" he says sheepishly, his voice the clearest I've heard him speak all night. I feel my cheeks heat up as the words reach my ears. _An angel?_ I open my mouth to speak, but I can't manage any words. I suddenly back away from him, and I bury my face in my hands in both confusion and embarrassment. _An angel...? What's that supposed to mean?_ I hesitantly peer through the gaps between my fingers, and I notice Levi abruptly stand from his seat. I uncover my face, and I watch as he begins to stagger away.

"A-Ah, Levi! Where are you going?!" I call out anxiously, attending to his side. I throw his limp arm over my shoulder and hold him firmly by the waist so that he doesn't lose his balance or stumble over. 

"I'mm goingg... play piaano... for you, Erenng," which I assume is meant to be _"I'm going to play piano for you, Eren"._ I follows his movements, and I realise he's making to the stage, but I don't stop him. I'm curious to see how well he plays when he's drunk. I help him up the stairs, and I steady him as he sits down on the stool, the piano in front of him. He looks muzzy, swaying back and fourth on the stool, but at least he has his balance now. His band members heed us from afar, and regather around the stage, each of them looking quite amused.

"Going to play for you, is he?" Petra says, shooting me a smile. Her tone of voice tells me she's entertained.

"Y-Yeah," I stammer through nervous laughter. _He's playing for me._ That thought iterates through my mind. He's playing for _me._  I watch as Levi presses down on the keys of the piano. He plays a few notes that don't really sound like anything melodic at all.

"Can he even play when he's drunk?" I ask worriedly, my eyes returning back to Levi.

"Just you watch," Petra utters excitedly, her smile broadening. Levi lifts his hands off the keys and withdraws for a mere moment. He breathes in deeply, his chest filling with oxygen. Then his hands pounce on the keys. His fingers dash up and down the piano in a split-second, jumping off the keys and back like a magnet. My eyes attempt to follow the breakneck speed of which his fingers are travelling, but they move so fast that my eyes become exhausted trying to keep up. _He can play this well while drunk?_ His body sways playfully with the melody, but his eyes look severely focused on the piano. The other noise in the room begins to die down, making Levi's piano playing the most dominant sound in the room. Groups of people leave from their seats and surround the stage, aching to come into closer view of the pianist. They're all just as amazed as I am. When he finishes, the room clamours with applause and loud whistles, his band members among them laughing. The looks on their faces suggest they anticipated this. I'm so dazed by what just happened that I can barely say anything. Levi spins around in his stool and flashes me a proud look.

"Howwh didd... I play, Erennh...?" he asks, grinning broadly before hiccuping. I come to my senses and I laugh out loud.

"You were incredible!" I exclaim, smiling back at him. He really _is_ incredible. Levi's grin forms into a smirk, and his brows raise suspiciously. Levi takes my left arm suddenly, and he rolls the sleeve up to my elbow. He frightens me initially. He pulls out a sharpie pen from his back pocket, and begins to scribble digits onto my forearm.

"In returnn for my piaano playingh..." he slurs slyly, "...call me."


	3. symphony op. 1, no. 3 "interlude"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren calls Levi. Levi forgets about giving Eren his number. Levi offers to make up for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot of dialogue between Levi and Eren in this chapter.
> 
> Thank you to my groupie, Rafael Lopes, for providing the concept for essentially this entire chapter.
> 
> This song really gives off the vibe that I pictured when writing the café scene: https://youtu.be/KHMxHQdvkA0
> 
> Levi does not play any piano pieces in this chapter.

_Call me._ His words occupy my mind, repeating endlessly since the words left from his lips. I can visualise his proud, but drowsy eyes as he spoke these words, with his lids half closed and a queer smirk spreading across his face. His voice sounded sly and imprudent, like he had all the confidence in the world. It's been less than 24 hours since I was last with Levi, and already I'm wondering when it will be a socially acceptable time to call him. It's probably too early in the morning to call now, and Levi, all things considered, is most likely hungover from the events of last night. In spite of all this, I still  _want_ to call him, and I can't exactly justify why. As I'm thinking this, my mind begins to play back what happened last night with Levi. He confounded me a few times. First with his drunk behaviour, then with his piano playing, and finally, the whole writing-his-number-on-my-arm predicament. I wonder what it means to him, giving someone his number. Isn't it the sort of thing a person does for someone they're romantically interested in? The fact that this thought entered my mind in the first place startles me a little. Why would I even think about that? Levi wouldn't be romantically interested in me. The only reason I was with him last night was to answer a question he had, and the only reason he gave me his number is because he was intoxicated. None of these thoughts would matter unless _I_ was romantically interested in Levi. And surely I'm not, right? I dismiss these thoughts, and my eyes glance downwards at the digits written on my forearm, and then at my phone resting on the table before me. _I have nothing to_ _lose,_ I reassure myself, and that's when I decide that I'm calling him now. I slide the phone carefully into my hands and I dial the digits, redialling and triple-checking to ensure that I've absolutely dialed the correct number. I hold my breath and close my eyes momentarily, holding the phone tightly in front of my chest.  _Here goes nothing_ , and I press the call button.

As the phone begins to ring, I realise that my heart is thumping unbelievably fast, and I suddenly feel my insides churn. I feel sick to the very pit of my stomach. The phone continues to ring, and with each tone, my confidence is slowly being drained out of me.  _He's not answering,_ I conclude, and I can't help but feel that this is somewhat anticlimactic. I separate the phone from my ear and I reach for the end-call button, but just before my fingers touch the screen, I see the "calling..." heading unexpectedly change to "connected". My heart actually stops.

"Hngh... hello...?" Levi's voice sounds groggily from the speakers of my phone. Hearing his voice astonishes me so much that the phone slips through my fingers, and begins to fall. I desperately try to catch it, fumbling absurdly. I somehow manage to catch the phone, and I grasp it firmly with both of my hands, moving it next to my ear.

"Hello?" I gasp into the phone.

"Who is this?" he groans, sounding unamused.

"U-Uh, this is Eren," I stutter, my voice presuming its normal pitch.

"Eren?" His tone of voice suddenly changes. "Eren who?"

"Um, Eren Jeager."

There is a moment of unnerving silence, and I swallow my breath hard. It feels like an eternity until either of us says anything.

"Eren..." Levi begins, "how did you get my phone number?" My heart sinks. He doesn't remember giving me his phone number. He probably doesn't remember _anything_ that happened while he was drunk.

"Y-You don't remember...?" I utter, hoping that maybe if I ask him, he will remember something.

"Uh... sorry, I can't remember much from last night," he says slowly, sounding more awake than when he initially answered the phone.

"Well, er, you..." I hesitate at first. "When you were drunk, you wrote your number on my arm and told me to call you..." Levi doesn't say anything at first.

"O-Oh... i-is that so...?" he says finally, stuttering. _Is he... embarrassed? Have I embarrassed him?_ "S-Sorry about that," he apologises almost soundlessly.

"I-It's not your fault that you can't remember..." I try to say reassuringly. "I understand that you were drunk. I'll remove your number, and I won't call you again. Sorry for bothering you," I rush through my words, not entirely wanting to do what I just said.

"There's no need for you to do that," he says quickly. "You're not bothering me, so, um..." he says, his words trailing, "you can call me whenever you want." I process these words, playing them back in my head. _I can call him whenever I want? Does he really mean that?_

"Listen, Eren," he says softly, interrupting my thoughts, "I probably caused you a lot of trouble last night, so let me make up for it," he starts. I don't know where he's going with this, so I wait for him to finish, listening intently.

"Would you like to go out to lunch with me sometime?" he asks. _Lunch? With him? Did I hear that right?_

"U-Um, lunch?" I ask uncertainly.

"Yeah. There's a café nearby we can go to, if you want," he speaks nonchalantly.

"Uh, sure," I feel myself smiling nervously into the words, taken aback.

"What time suits you?" he asks.

"I don't mind... whenever suits you."

"Hm... what about 12:15pm today?"

"Today?!" I burst out louder than I intend to.

"Is that a problem?" he asks.

"U-Uh, not at all. Sorry. I can do today," I say clumsily.

"I'll text the address of the place to you," he says, sounding satisfied.

"Okay," I respond.

"Well, I'll see you soon, Eren," Levi says, his voice mellow.

"See you soon," I echo back at him, then the call is over.

 _So. This is happening._ I'm going to have lunch with Levi in less than two hours. Would this be considered a date? It feels that way, but what is it to him? Is he really trying to pay me back for last night, or did he just ask me out on a genuine date?

I'm not sure why, but there's a very large part of me that hopes it's the latter.

* * *

I arrive at the café five minutes early, but as I approach the front door, I can see that Levi is already waiting by the door. He is standing outside of the entrance, cloaked in a black sweater with a turtle neck collar that clings around his neck, and a pair of dark pants. His back is facing me, but I can see the outline of his arms folded tightly into his chest.

"Levi!" I call out to capture his attention. He turns around and his eyes find me instantaneously. We meet each other halfway in front of the café entrance.

"Eren," he greets me casually, his eyes giving me a brief scan.

"Levi," I say in a similar tone, then we enter the café as a pair. A waitress attends to us, greeting us before leading us to a table for two. I take a seat by the coffee table, and Levi sits across from me.  _This is a date, this is a date, this is a date_ is the only thought that occupies my mind as the waitress discusses the specials of the day and hands us both a menu before promptly leaving. Levi picks up the menu and observes it fixedly. I watch him subconsciously. Although the menu is held in front of his face, his eyes don't seem to be scanning the words at all. They are completely still. Levi must detect my attentive gaze, as he abruptly slams the menu on the table and looks directly at me.

"What are you ordering, Eren?" he asks, catching me off-guard.

"A-Ah, I haven't chosen yet," I mumble, flustered, picking up a menu and briefly scanning it. The waitress returns to our table shortly after with a small notepad and pen, asking us what we would like to order.

"Um... can I have this one, please?" I say, pointing to the name of the dish on the menu.

"I'll have what he's having," Levi answers, gesturing towards me. The waitress smiles at us both before leaving, then Levi and I are left alone once again. Levi pours himself a glass of water from the glass bottles provided at each table. I follow his lead and pour myself a drink. He picks up his glass, drinking from it. We both sit in silence, and I search desperately through my mind for a topic to discuss. I think hard, but my mind can't muster anything interesting enough to sustain a conversation. _Great. The only time I can't think of anything._

"So, Eren..." he says, suspending the silence as he sets his glass down. "How drunk was I?" he asks, resting his arm on the back of his chair. I think for a moment, recounting the events in my mind.

"Well..." I begin, fiddling with my fingers. "You were drunk enough that all of your words were slurred, and I could hardly what you were saying. You couldn't walk straight either, so I had to help you most of the time. You also tried to take off your clothes once, but I stopped you. Your band had to drive you home in the end. All in all, you seemed to have an abundance of confidence," I say, unable to conceal a grin. Levi's eyes have widened, and his cheeks have gone slightly pink. He's avoiding my gaze. _Cute._ "You also spilled whiskey on your shirt," I add, and I can't help but laugh. Levi folds his arms, turning his head away. It looks as if he's trying to hide his face from me. _Very cute._

"A-Ah. That would explain the, er, stain," he says bemusedly. I laugh more. "Uh..." Levi says, rubbing the back of his neck, "I apologise for being a burden to you last night," he emits, continuing to look away. I'm startled by his apology.

"It's fine, really," I reassure him. "It was actually quite entertaining," I admit, grinning at him confidently. Levi looks at me intriguingly, then takes another sip from his glass.

"Do you get drunk often?" I ask him eagerly, unable to resist my curiosity.

"No, not really," he confesses. "I don't like the feeling of being hungover afterwards." I realise that there is probably only a few people who have seen Levi drunk, and I am officially now one of them.

"You played the piano too when you were drunk last night," I mention suddenly. "I don't know the name of the song, but it was incredibly fast... I didn't know it was possible to play that well whilst drunk."

"Hm... it was probably _Flight of the Bumblebee,_ " he begins, "I can play it with my eyes closed."

"E-Eh?! With your eyes closed?!" Levi laughs a little at my response.

"Yeah. It took a long time," he says, "it's very difficult to learn without sheet music," he utters.

"You learnt it without sheet music?" I ask.

"No. I don't usually learn from sheet music," he replies, and I give him a puzzled look. I don't know an awful lot about music, but I remember what was taught to me in the year I studied music as an elective in high school (I dropped it because I was horrid at it). I remember how especially important sheet music was for each instrument, and I remember closely studying each element of music notation. How could you _not_ read sheet music and manage to be as exquisitely talented as Levi is?

"I actually can't..." he seems hesitant, "...can't read sheet music." This comes across as a shock to me. I open my mouth to say something, but he beats me to it.

"I understand what music notation is supposed to look like, and I understand the theory of it. I understand staves, bar lines, ledger lines, clefs, time signatures, notes, symbols, rhythms, melodies, harmonies, dynamics. I know what they sound like. I can even hear them in my head," he remarks, "but I can't physically read it." I tilt my head at him. I still don't understand what he means, and I am just about to ask, but he must have read my mind because his next statement answers everything.

"I'm dyslexic," Levi discloses. _I wasn't expecting that._ I gape at him, unable to devise an immediate response. I can hardly read sheet music as it is. I can't fathom how much more difficult it would be with dyslexia.

"Is it that shocking?" Levi asks, narrowing his eyes at me. He looks offended by my reaction.

"A-Ah, no! Well, it is shocking, but it's not a bad thing!" I say in panic. I don't know what to say that won't sound ignorant or offensive. "It's just... you're such a talented pianist that it didn't occur to me that you wouldn't be able to read sheet music. But knowing it now doesn't make you any less of a pianist, in fact, I actually think it just makes you even more talented because you would have had to work extra hard to learn to play the piano without reading sheet music..." Levi wears a parallel expression to the one he wore last night when I told him I wanted to see him play the piano again. Pleasantly surprised. I'm relieved. He props his hands under his chin, and he looks directly at me. The glisten in his pretty grey eyes tell me that he wants to say something. His expression warms up, and a smile forms upon his face.

"You're interesting, Eren," he says it so softly and so soothingly, it's almost a whisper.


	4. symphony op. 1, no. 4 "coincidence"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Eren continue their date at the café. Eren arrives home and tells Armin about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ!  
> I firstly apologise for my lack of activity in the past few weeks, but I do have a reason why I haven't been updating. The first and foremost reason is that I've rewritten the first three chapters. I was unhappy with the way I had initially written them, and I also wanted to change some minor details. The content is still generally the same, but as I said, I have changed a few things. With the first chapter, the only major thing that I've changed is Eren's friend. Eren's friend is now Mikasa! I thought it would make more sense to make Eren's friend Mikasa, instead of a throwaway character who only exists for the sole purpose of the first chapter. Another change in the first chapter is the way that Levi approaches Eren. In the second chapter, I've just added a small scene between Eren/Levi. The third chapter is mostly the same, the only difference being the language. The outcome is still the same for each chapter, so if you don't want to re-read them, I suppose in the end, you don't really need to.  
> 
> 
> Also, I've begun writing down some ideas for my next fanfiction, though I probably won't actually begin writing it until I finish this fanfiction. I've written a brief chapter outline of this fanfiction, and so far, I'm planning to make this fanfiction about 20 chapters long. So the next fanfiction probably won't be out for a while, unless I decide to simultaneously write both.  
> 
> 
> Levi does not play any piano pieces in this chapter.  
> 

Levi and I talk endlessly for what is probably hours, excitedly telling each other about ourselves and curiously asking the other questions. There hasn't been a single gap in our conversation from the very moment he spoke the first words, and in those few hours that we've been sitting here, Levi has told me so many things about himself that I actually feel privileged. He's told me about his piano playing; how long he's been playing, all the piano teachers he’s had, the competitions he's won. He mentioned that his father wants him to perform in international competitions. He also told me about his dyslexic condition, that he's had the disorder for as long as he can remember, and how he learnt to play the piano without reading sheet music. He tells me that he lives alone in a “small mansion” twenty minutes from the city (from how he described it, it didn't sound very small at all). He's lived alone in it since he graduated from high school. His mother passed away when he was young, and his father is an apparently well renowned pianist who decided to perform overseas. The mansion originally belonged to his father, but was inevitably passed onto Levi when his father decided to perform abroad. He also mentions that his father offered Levi to travel overseas with him, but Levi declined his offer because he "simply wasn't interested". I tell him that I live in a shared apartment with two of my childhood friends, Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlet, whom I tell him briefly about, despite him already being familiar with Mikasa.

"What do you do for a living... er, Levi?" I ask him, hesitant to address his name casually in a conversation.

"I study classical performance at the conservatory of music," he says effortlessly, as if he had rehearsed this line in his head. "Mikasa and I attend the same class, as you know," he says, "which is how I knew about the piano performance yesterday. I had time to spare until my next lecture, so I decided to watch," he explains. Levi's eyes divert from mine, and he looks down at his fingers which are clasped together. "What a coincidence, huh," he says calmly. It hadn't fully crossed my mind before, but thinking about it now makes me realise it. All of this was a coincidence.

"What about you?" Levi asks suddenly, sliding his hand under his chin, "what do _you_ do for a living, Eren _?_ " He smiles lightly and looks at me amusingly, and I know that I have his undivided attention.

"Uh, well... I graduated from high school last year, so I'm taking a break from my studies this year," I answer.

"Oh? Taking a gap year?" he asks.

"Not really, it's more like a _I don't know what to study or what university to go to_ year," I reply. Levi lets out a genuine chuckle.

"I see," he says, but his eyes looks like he's thinking about something else.

"You graduated from high school last year... which should make you 18, correct?" he asks out of the blue.

"O-Oh, yeah. I'm 18," I answer. Levi's lips curl into the slightest of grin, similar to the one he wore last night.

"That makes me three years older than you," he utters, before quickly changing the subject. "So, Eren," he begins, "if you're not studying, then what are your interests?"

"Um..." I begin, scratching the back of my head, "I like to write." Levi's brow raises.

"You want to write novels, eh?"

"Uh, well, I've never really written a full-length novel before..."

"Why not?" he asks abruptly.

"E-Er... what do you mean?"

"You like to write, so why not write a novel?" he says, "it doesn't need to sell. In fact, it doesn't even need to be a good book as long as you enjoy writing it." This response surprises me so much that I can feel my mouth hanging slightly open. What surprises me more is that I actually _can't_ think of a reason why I haven't written a novel before, and I laugh out loud because of it.

"I guess you're right," I say, grinning at him, "maybe I will write a novel."

We talk for a while longer, until Levi announces that he should go. I wish that we could talk for longer, but I'm grateful that we spoke for this long already. Levi calls over the waitress and pays the bill for the both of us, despite my protest. He insists on paying to make up for his behaviour last night. We leave the café together, and we stand in front of the entrance where we met.

"Eren," he says, fixing his gaze on me, and his lips forming into a smile, "let this not be the last time we meet."

* * *

I search into my bag for my apartment keys, and after struggling for a minute, my fingers finally grasp on a piece of metal, which I assume to be the keys. I slot the keys into the lock, pushing the door open to reveal the living room of my flat. Or rather, our flat. Neither Mikasa or Armin are in the living room, but I can hear the tinkling of a piano, which I assume to be Mikasa, and I gather that Armin is probably studying in our room. Armin and I share a room, whereas Mikasa has a room to herself. This is mostly because she wouldn't be able to fit an upright piano in her room otherwise, and she insisted the piano be in her room, as opposed to the living room, where it would quite honestly fit better. I slip my shoes off and shut the door behind me.

"I'm home," I call out as I approach the hallway. Armin pokes his head out into the hallway from our room.

"Oh, you're home, Eren. Welcome back," he greets me. I enter the room, and I find Armin at his desk with an overload of paperwork spread out on the surface. His untidy blonde hair falls just above his eyes, bearing dark circles underneath, and he's wearing his reading glasses that he only ever uses when he's strained his eyes too much.

"Hey," I say, acknowledging his presence as I walk past him. I collapse on my bed, and I stare up at the ceiling.

"You were gone for a while," he says, frantically writing without looking up, "Levi's his name, isn't it?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah."

"How was your date with Levi then?" Armin asks.

"I-I told you, it wasn't a date..." I blurt, my words sounding flimsy.

"Ah, well, whatever you call it, how was it?" he asks.

"It was good..." I say timidly, "he told me a lot about himself, and I told him a lot about myself..." Armin continues to listen, flipping through the pages on his desk. "He also paid for my meal," I add.

"Oh? What did he pay your meal for?" he asks, sounding slightly more interested.

"He said needed to pay me back for last night," I say. Armin suddenly stops writing.

"What happened last night?" he asks. That's when I remember that I haven't told him anything about what happened yesterday yet.

"It's kind of a long story..." I say. Armin spins around on his chair to face me. He smiles at me with his tired eyes that eagerly say, _"I want to know more."_ I sit up on my bed and allow a soft sigh to escape from my lips.

"You know how I went to Mikasa's piano performance at the conservatory yesterday?" I prompt. Armin nods. "Well, before the performance, there was someone playing the piano in the auditorium. I went to check it out (even though I wasn't allowed to), and I found Levi playing the piano in the auditorium. Then when the actual piano performance started, he sat a few seats next to me, and I couldn't help myself from looking at him, so much so that Levi approached me after the performance and asked me why I was staring at him..." I pause from the story, peering up at Armin, who looks like he's processing all of what I just said in his head. "He asked me to meet him at a location (which was a bar) to answer his question, so I went, and I told him why. Then he got drunk and wrote his number on my arm, telling me to call him, but when I called him this morning, he said he couldn't remember giving me his number or anything that happened when he was drunk, so he asked to have lunch with him to make up for the trouble he may have caused me," I explain. "So, basically... this entire situation was a coincidence," I say, exhaling as I finish. Armin holds his chin between his index finger and his thumb and looks at me intently.

"Eren..." he begins, wearing a weird expression that I can't quite describe, "you don't _really_ think all of that was a coincidence, do you?" I tilt my head at him.

"I don't understand what you mean," I say bluntly.

"I mean... doesn't it seem like it was well thought out?" he says. "If he wanted to interact with you, that is."

"E-Eh? Why would he want to interact with me?"

"I don't know, but I'm thinking that... Levi playing the piano before the performance and sitting next to you in the auditorium might have been a coincidence, but the part with him asking you why you were staring at him, and then asking him to meet you at a location because of it just seems a bit drastic..." he says, "...and besides, he'd have to be staring at you to know that you were staring at him, right?" I take a minute to process what he just said, each word sinking through my head slowly.

"What are you implying?" I ask him dubiously.

"Well, it's just an assumption, but..." Armin pauses, "maybe he took an interest in you before he approached you." I gape at Armin with a combination of astonishment and scepticism.

"That's crazy," I say in disbelief, but the thought of it excites something inside me, and causes my heart to beat fast. I have the sudden and overwhelming urge to see him, and it's so violent that it physically aches.

Then I have a thought.

I jump up from my bed.

"E-Er, where are you going, Eren?" Armin asks.

"I just had an idea, I'll be back," I say as I stride past him, out of our bedroom and into the hallway. I reach Mikasa's bedroom, and she looks up from the keys of the piano and at me. She stops playing the piano. Her eyes meet mine, and I see her lips beginning to form the shape of my name.

"Mikasa," I say quickly before she can vocalise the words, "I have a favour to ask." Mikasa closes her mouth, her eyes looking bemused, but eager.

"What is it?" she asks. I inhale deeply.

"Please take me with you to the conservatory of music tomorrow!"


	5. piano duet op. 1, no. 5 "victor's piano solo"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren visits the conservatory of music with Mikasa. He finds Levi, and Levi decides to teach Eren a piano duet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Eren play this piano duet: https://youtu.be/XcyUaShuIUU

Mikasa stands beside me, where we are currently located within the heart of the conservatory. Somehow, the campus seems even larger under broad daylight, as opposed to its appearance on the morning of Mikasa's piano performance a few days ago. My eyes scan our surroundings thoroughly, admiring the mass of tall, modern buildings coinciding with neatly paved walkways and street signs pointing in every direction. The pretty green colour of the grass spreads throughout the campus, shimmering under the sun and colouring the conservatory with its vibrance. Hundreds of musicians swarm the campus. Some carrying heavy stacks of books, some rushing to their classes, some chatting amongst themselves, and some sprawled out in resting areas. I allow my lungs to fill with the clean, but cold air, and it breezes through my entire body, forming small goosebumps all over my arms and legs. The ambience of it all appeases me, and I think to myself that I wouldn't mind coming here more often.

"Eren," Mikasa says, waking me from my daze, "let's go." As she says this, I suddenly remember why I wanted to come here.  _I came here to see Levi._  It had occurred to me as I was talking with Armin last night that Levi and Mikasa attend the same class, which means that they probably see each other on a regular basis.  _Which means_ if I ever wanted to see Levi myself, all I'd really have to do is accompany Mikasa to the conservatory of music. And that is exactly what I'm doing. I had asked Mikasa last night to take me with her to the conservatory today, so that she could give me a "tour of the campus" and a "brief outline of what university is like". When she questioned me why, I told her that it was a combination of my boredom and curiosity. Which is partially true, but is also partially untrue. I was almost certain that even she knew I was lying, but she did not question me any further.

"Yeah. Let's go," I say in response, grasping onto the visitor pass that slings from my neck. My name is written on it in thick, block letters. Mikasa guides me through the campus, following the walkway and weaving through the conservatory grounds. She explains that the conservatory is divided into three fundamental districts: the West district, which is solely dedicated to music composition and production, the North district, which is dedicated to musical performance, and finally, the East district, which is dedicated to audio engineering and music management. Each district consists of educational buildings in which lectures are held. Prior to today, the only district that I had been in was the North district, due to Mikasa's performance. She walks me through the West district, allowing me to look at the inner facilities such as the lecture theatres, recording studios and the main common room. We then make our way to the North district.

"This building hosts the classical sector and all classical-related studies," Mikasa says, as we reach a several floor building. "All of my lectures are held in here." I follow behind as she skips up a small flight of stairs that lead to the entrance. We walk inside through the doors and turn right into a hallway. I recognise the decor. Then I realise that this is the floor where Mikasa's piano performance was held. We pace past the auditorium where I first saw Levi, and although the doors are closed, I can visualise myself peering inside and watching Levi play the piano. Mikasa's talking to me about something, but none of her words are sinking in. I'm too distracted. All I can think about now is what Levi looked like then. What he wore, his facial expression, how he sounded. How unlikely the entire situation was. Then I think of what Armin said.  _"You don't really think all of that was a coincidence, do you?" "Maybe he took an interest in you before he approached you."_ What are those words supposed to mean?

"Eren, are you listening?" Mikasa tilts her head in front of me. Her sudden presence startles me, and dismisses my thoughts.

"U-Uh, my bad. I zoned out," I initially stutter. When I come to my senses, I realise that we're on a completely different floor.

"E-Er... where are we?" I ask.

"Third floor," she replies.

"Oh... what's on this floor again?"

"Private lessons," she answers. "I can't let you inside the rooms while students are having a lesson. Let's move onto the next district." We stand in the centre of the hallway, where I can hear a variety of different instruments sounding from each room. The sound of the instruments, although muffled, combine with one another, travelling through the doors of the rooms and into the hallway, finally reaching my ears. I can identify the sound of brass, strings, percussion, guitar, then I hear something that makes me stop dead in my tracks.  _I hear a piano._ Considering the amount of students that attend this school, there's about a 0.02% chance that the person playing the piano is Levi, but for some reason, I don't want to risk that chance. I have to see who's playing the piano. Mikasa realises that I've stopped following her after taking about three steps away from me.

"Eren?" she says, turning around to face me, "what's the matter?"

"Uh, er.... I need to go to the bathroom," I say unconvincingly, "you keep going, I'll catch up." Mikasa looks at me suspiciously.

"Do you even know where the bathrooms are?" she asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

"I-I can find them on my own _._ "

"What if you get lost?"

"I won't."

"It's a big conservatory..."

"I'm not a _child._ I won't get lost," I say sternly. Mikasa looks as if she wants to protest, but doesn't know how to.

"Meet me at the East district," she says finally, chewing on her bottom lip, "and text me if you get lost, okay?" I nod at her, smiling assuringly. She returns a weak smile, and hesitantly begins to walk away. My eyes follow her until she vanishes from my line of vision, and I let out a sigh of relief. When I am absolutely certain that I'm alone in the hallway, I listen for the sound of the piano from before, and sneak towards the room where it's coming from. I slowly peek inside the room through the glass on the door. The inside of the room appears wide and spacious, and seemingly empty, but I catch a glimpse of movement in the corner of my eye. I notice a grand piano, and I recognise the back of the person who is playing it. There's no doubt. That's Levi. As soon as I realise this, I feel my heart jump in my chest. Why am I so nervous about seeing him when I should be used to it by now? My eyes find Levi again, and I realise that he's not the only one in the room. A man stands by the piano with his hands tucked behind his back, his eyes scanning Levi's fingers. I gather that he's probably Levi's piano teacher. I continue to watch Levi play through the glass in the door, hearing the muffled sound of his playing. He finishes playing, and I see him talk to who I assume to be his piano teacher. I can't read his lips, or hear a word of what they're saying. I realise after about a minute of watching him that the piano teacher is heading towards the door. Heading towards me. He's going to see me, and then Levi is going to see me, and I don't really want to explain to Levi that I've been watching him this entire time, or that the entire reason I'm here in the first place is to see him. What should I do? Should I hide? _Where_ should I hide? Before I can thoroughly think it through or devise any kind of strategic plan, the piano teacher is already opening the door, and all I can manage to do is brace against the wall. I look in the other direction, avoiding to make eye contact with him, hoping that if I don't look at him, he won't see me.

Somehow, it works. He  _didn't_ see me. I watch as he walks away from the room, leaving the door wide open. The door is  _wide_ open. I could peer inside if I wanted to, and it would be just like the first time I saw him. And peer in is what I do. I see Levi on the piano stool, staring down at the keys. He's wearing a long-sleeved knitted sweater, with a white collared shirt underneath. As I'm observing Levi, he begins to play a melody in his right hand. A slow and simple melody. I take another step into the room, wanting to see him more clearly, then Levi suddenly stops playing. I freeze. Did he hear me?

"Eren," I hear Levi say suddenly, "I can see you in the reflection of the piano." He doesn't so much as flinch as he says this, nor does he look up from the keys in front of him. His words shock me, waking me from my daze, and making my pulse quicken. _  
_

"U-Um... I didn't mean to stare, I was just, er... looking around..." I stutter nervously. Levi stands up from the piano stool.

"I don't mind," he replies calmly, making his way towards me. He takes long strides before finally reaching me.

"After all... you're a visitor, aren't you?" he says, his eyes glancing down at the visitor pass on my chest.

"O-Oh, yeah..." I say, grabbing a hold of the pass in my hands, "Mikasa was just showing me around the campus..." Levi raises an eyebrow.

"Why is that? Are you thinking of studying music at the conservatory?" he asks. I shake my head.

"N-No... I was just curious and had nothing else to do," I falter slightly.

"Ah, I see," Levi replies, "but you _could_ if you wanted to," he says.

"Pardon?"

"You could study music at the conservatory if you wanted to."

"E-Eh? No way! I don't know anything about music."

"Sure you do. You studied music at high school, didn't you?" he says.

"Only for a year," I reply, unable to conceal a smile, "I dropped it because I was horrible at it!" Levi laughs out loud. I see a smile spreading across his face, and his eyes suddenly glimmer at me. He spins around to face the piano, and he works towards it.

"Well, if you're _so_ horrible at music, then I'll just have to teach you," I can hear the grin in his words as he sits down on the stool in front of the piano. He scoots aside, leaving a space for me to sit on.

"Are you coming, Eren?" he asks, alluring me to him. I make towards him slowly, not entirely certain of what's about to happen. _Is he going to teach me to play the piano?_  As I sit down beside him, I realise that there is not much room for the both of us on the stool. We sit side by side, and our bodies touch ever so slightly.

"Follow after me," Levi says, "I'll play a melody, and you'll repeat it afterwards." His upper body reaches over in front of me, his right arm brushing against my chest, and his hair touching my face. His right leg crosses over mine to reach the sustain pedal, and our legs intertwine. Being this close to him makes my breath fall short for some reason. He begins to play a slow melody in his right hand. I observe his fingers as they sink into the keys, listening to the sound of the piano and watching him attentively. As Levi finishes the melody, his arms pull away from the piano.

"Your turn," he says, looking at me intently. I hesitate, resting my hands on the keys of the piano, before attempting to repeat the melody Levi played. I play the notes slowly, slower than how Levi played it, hesitating between notes, and accidentally pressing down on the wrong keys. Levi plays the next line of the melody as soon as I finish, and I repeat after him again. We relay the melodies, my accuracy increasing each time, and Levi's pace accelerating little by little. I somehow manage to keep up.

"Good," Levi commends me, smiling lightly. "Now let's play together." Levi signals me with a nod, and I begin to play the melody on the higher notes of the piano. Levi joins in shortly after, his fingers playing a separate melody on the lower notes of the piano. Our notes harmonise together, and Levi syncs perfectly in time with me. His eyes stay focused on me, and he instructs me as we play, telling me when to speed up or slow down, when to increase or decrease volume, and when to stop playing altogether. As we reach the end of the music, the both of us sustain the final notes, allowing the melody to ring out. Neither of us say anything for a while, and we sit there, listening to the music echo from the piano endlessly.

"Eren," Levi says suddenly, "would you like to play the piano with me again tomorrow?" he asks. And there was absolutely no way that I could possibly refuse. I went to the conservatory the next day, and the day after, and every day that followed for a week to play the piano with Levi at the exact same place, at the exact same time. We practiced the piano duet every day for a minimum of 30 minutes, and today is the sixth that I've practiced with him. We have just finished the piano piece, and Levi is looking at me proudly.

"I told you that you could study music if you wanted to," Levi sneers at me playfully.

"As if I could have done that on my own," I say, returning a grin. Levi takes a minute to respond, as if he's distracted by another thought.

"Eren," Levi says finally, "now that we've finished this piece, there's one more thing that I'd like us to do." I look at him curiously.

"What is it?" I ask him. Levi inhales deeply, and I can hear the hesitation in his breath as he says the next few words.

"I'd like us to play it on _my_ piano."


	6. piano duet op. 1, no. 6 "levi's confession"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren visits Levi's mansion to play their piano duet on his piano.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. It has been exactly a month since I last uploaded, holy shit. I've been very inactive due to a lot of issues happening simultaneously. Most of those issues are coming to an end, so I should be able to update more regularly now! Thank you for being so patient with me. I hope that this chapter will make up for my absence!
> 
> Lots of dialogue, and classic lit. references in this chapter! Enjoy. (:
> 
> Piano duet is the same piece as the previous chapter.
> 
> Pieces Levi Plays in this Chapter:  
> Nocturne E-Flat Major Op. 9, No. 2: https://youtu.be/vOJYr49bUHQ

As of now, I am currently sitting in the passenger seat of Armin's car, where we are parked in the front driveway of Levi's mansion. I have been peering out of the window for at least five minutes straight, not moving a muscle and observing the mansion in unnecessary close detail. The mansion manifests two stories with windows and balconies, all guarded by a two-story door with columns planted on either side of it. The walls are polished the lightest of colours, and the windows are wide open, allowing the curtains to sway along with the wind. The entire atmosphere charms me, as if is inviting me inside,  _calling_  to me.

I'm not looking at my hands, but I can feel them fidgeting uncontrollably in my lap, and my heart is throbbing hard against my chest. A part of me wants so desperately to go inside, while another part of me is so nervous that I feel like my chest will explode if I take even one step out of the car. 

"You'll be fine, Eren," Armin says in his gentle, high-pitched voice. His confident eyes gleam at me, and he flashes a smile.

"But what if I won't be fine?" I groan sluggishly, sinking into the fabric of my seat. Armin rests one hand comfortably on my shoulder, while the other gives me a thumbs up.

"You will. Promise," he smiles. I glance at the mansion again before my eyes return to Armin, whose ecstatic expression doesn't wither. I look at him for a while longer, before I finally let out a sigh in defeat, and grip the car door handle.

"Text me when you want me to pick you up," he says, as I push the door open and step out of the vehicle.

"Um. Sure," I manage.

"Well, good luck!" Armin calls out through the car window. The vehicle begins to draw away from me, and my eyes follow him until he disappears completely from my sight. Suddenly all who is left is me, Levi, and his mansion.  _I always seem to be in this kind of predicament, don't I?_  I swallow my breath, then I pace towards the mansion. I climb up a short flight of steps that lead me to the entrance, where I now stand face to face with the front door.  _This is it,_  I sigh to myself, and with all the courage I can gather, I ring the doorbell. Then we wait.

I lean back on the heels of my feet and lean forward on my toes, rocking back and fourth in place. My eyes are glued to the pavement, and my hands are tucked tight behind my back as I eagerly await for the door to open. _I hear footsteps,_  and my body suddenly tenses. The sound approaches me ploddingly, becoming louder and louder with each thud. Then the door opens, and Levi is standing there.

"Eren," he says.

"H-Hi," I stutter, not quite adjusting to the situation.

"Did you find the place alright?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah."

"Good." His lips form into a smile. "Well, come inside, Eren," he says convincingly. Levi holds the door open as I walk inside, and my eyes are instantaneously met with the most pristine-looking room that I have ever seen. The floor is tiled with polished marble, and the walls are immaculate. Two major staircases lead to the upper floor that curves around the building, and through the two staircases reveals an open passageway that leads to another room. Masking it all with its light is a glass chandelier that dangles from the high ceiling. And this is _just_  the entrance.

"Wow..." I say, the words falling from my mouth. Levi grins amusingly, looking satisfied with my reaction.

"Shall I show you around?" he asks modestly, and I feel myself involuntarily smile.

"Naturally," I say.

Levi strides in front of me and leads the way through the mansion. He tours the entire first floor, guiding me through each room (of which there were many), including the living room, dining room, kitchen room, parlour room (fancy living room), day room (another fancy living room), and the office room. All of which are singlehandedly larger than my entire flat alone. At the moment, however, Levi and I are strolling through his backyard, which appears to be larger than the mansion itself. The yard is filled with emerald coloured plant life; trees, flowers, and hedges trimmed to perfection, with a water fountain situated in the centre of it all. We travel on the paved walkway that weaves through the yard, and I am deeply ravished by the sight. As I take it all in, I come to a sudden, but obvious realisation - Levi is  _extremely_  rich.

I gaze at him lengthily with this thought in my mind, trying to piece the scattered information I have about him. I notice the desolate guise in his eyes; the way that he naturally furrows his brows, how the bottom part of his hair is shorter than the rest of it, and his mysterious aura that puts me on edge, yet entices me to come closer.

_It reminds me of someone._

"Here," Levi says abruptly, stopping in front of me, "I wanted to show you this."

I look up in front of me, and I realise what we've stopped in front of.

The entrance to a garden.

I look through the arched entrance, which reveals a pathway surrounded by flowers and plants of the most captivating colours, and vines that coil around the columns that guide the pathway.

"Amazing..." the words fall from my lips, and my eyes sparkle in fascination. Levi's head turns to face me, and he smiles earnestly.

"Shall we?" he says, gesturing the garden. I nod at him feverishly, and we walk through the entrance together. The fragrance of flowers is strong under my nose, and I fix my eyes upon the different hues that make up the garden; reds, whites, pinks, blues, purples, and yellows fill my vision.

"They're so pretty," I say, "and there's so many... you must have a gardener or something, right?"

Levi shakes his head. "Not at all."

"Well, who does the gardening then?"

"I do."

I look at Levi dumbly. "You... do?" the words barely leave my lips. Levi clears his throat, as if he's preparing for what he'll say next.

"I live alone, so it goes without saying that I do all of the chores," he says, "gardening, cooking, cleaning, and the like." The image of Levi wearing a cleaning outfit pops into my mind. It's an entertaining image, and it's not entirely unattractive either.

"It must be really lonely..." I say, looking up at him, "...doing all of that by yourself."

Levi sighs lightly, but doesn't say anything, and I study his expression. His sad eyes stare longingly at the ground, avoiding my gaze, with his hands tucked shyly behind his back.

"It is," he says suddenly. "It is very lonely."

He turns away from me suddenly and I watch the back of him resume walking through the garden, saying nothing.

"You remind me of Gatsby," I say impulsively, and Levi stops in his tracks.

"Pardon?" he says.

"I said," I speak slightly louder, "you remind me of Gatsby."

"Who?"

"Jay Gatsby. You know... from The Great Gatsby..." Levi tilts his head at me, uncertainty all over his face.

"Gats...by...?" he hesitantly repeats.

"You... haven't read The Great Gatsby?" I ask.

"I haven't."

"Have you at least seen the film?" I try again.

"I'm afraid not."

I look at him with a hint of disbelief. "So you never had to read it in high school for English or anything like that?"

"Nope."

"Okay... well, what about The Catcher In the Rye?"

"No."

"To Kill a Mockingbird?"

"Nope."

"Pride and Prejudice?"

"Nada."

I sigh in exasperation. "Well, what  _did_  you read in high school then?" I interrogate, folding my arms into my chest, and sounding slightly irritated.

"I  _didn't_  read anything in high school," Levi says flatly, "I'm dyslexic, remember?"

"I know that, but I mean... someone could have read it to you or something."

Levi shrugs. "It must not have mattered to them much."

I gape at him in bafflement, then a thought enters my mind - _Levi has probably never read a book in his entire life._

Then I think to myself.

_Well, I'll just have to change that._

"I'll read to you," I say aloud. Levi looks at me blankly.

"I'll read to you," I say again, unshakeably this time, "...that is, if you'll let me."

Levi's eyes trail away from mine, and his cheeks flush a shade of pink, the same pigmentation of the flowers.

"U-Um... right now?" he asks timidly. _So eager._

"Not now, silly," I say playfully, moving closer to his face, "I didn't bring a book."

"Right..." Levi says, managing not to stutter. His eyes finally meet mine, and the colour in his cheeks deepen and spread across his whole face.

"Besides, that's not why I'm here," I say, "I'm here so that we can play our piano duet on  _your_  piano."

I smirk at Levi confidently, looming over him slightly. "Shall we go inside?" I ask, and I hear Levi gasp under his breath.

"Absolutely," he says.

* * *

 I sit beside Levi on the piano stool, and I watch as he warms his fingers up on the keys.

"Ready?" I ask, leaning forward to peer at him. He nods.

Levi draws his hands away from the keys, and straightens himself up next to me. His right leg reaches over mine, hovering over the sustain pedal, and intertwining around my left leg. He shifts closer towards me, and our shoulders touch. I should be used to his touch by now considering the amount of times we've practiced like this, but it always seems to give me the most pleasant goosebumps.

I ready my hands on the upper octaves of the piano. Before I play the first note, I inhale deeply through my nose, and as I exhale, my fingers touch the keys, and I begin to play the melody. My right hand moves slow, waltzing with the melody, then my left hand enters the piece. I feel Levi watching me; my hands, my posture, and my eyes, intently waiting for his time to accompany me.

Levi plays a melody on the lower octaves, and I echo the notes afterwards. Then we begin to play together, our melodies synchronising, and the overall sound becoming much larger than before. Our rhythms in perfect time, perfect dynamic contrast - in perfect combination with each other.

As we play the last few notes, we allow the sound to linger until it eventually fades into nothing. Then I pull my hands away from the piano. But Levi does not. In fact, he continues playing, except now he's playing a completely different piece. I've heard the melody somewhere before, but I can't remember the title. I remain in the stool next to him, watching him play, and feeling the movement of his body occasionally bump against me. I close my eyes, not thinking of anything, not seeing anything, and instead just listening, listening to the melody in its wholeness. The sound is melodious and soothing on my ears, and I feel at ease listening to it. Listening to Levi play it.

"Eren," Levi speaks softly, continuing to play, "there is something I need to tell you."

I listen avidly, slowly opening my eyes, and returning back to the room. "What is it?" I ask.

I hear Levi hesitate. "I know that you were watching me play in the auditorium before the piano performance," he says.

"I know that you know," I say, "I told you that I was watching you. Remember at the bar?"

"No," he insists, "I knew _before_ you told me."

I look at him confoundedly, wanting to ask questions, but I decide that I'll let him finish talking.

"I knew you were coming to the piano performance," he begins. "I knew you were coming because Mikasa told me. She had been telling me about you, bragging about you for months, and I was interested in you. I wanted to meet you," he says ceaselessly, as if completely unfazed by his piano playing.

"When she told me that you were coming to watch the performance, I asked her to ensure that you arrived early so that I could talk to you," he continues, "but when I saw you propped up against the wall and fiddling with your fingers, I realised that I wouldn't have known what to say. So I did the only thing I was confident I _could_ do. That was to play the piano. I hoped that you would hear me, and that maybe you would be just a bit too curious and peek inside, which you did. I could see you in the corner of my eye when I was playing, and I was relieved. I had your attention, so I hoped that if I approached you afterwards, you wouldn't mind talking to me. I sat next to you in the auditorium, and made up some pathetic excuse to give you my number. It was all in order for me to meet you. It's pretty stupid, isn't it?"

Levi chuckles to himself quietly, smiling down at the keys.

"But here's another thing, Eren," he says, "even though I went through all of that unnecessary trouble to meet you - now that I've finally met you, and talked with you, I realised that it was worth the trouble."

The melody of the piece reaches its end, and Levi breaks away his eyes from the keys. He turns his head to face me, and his eyes look directly into mine, focusing all of his attention on me. I stare back at his enthralling eyes, seeing the beautiful grey colour of his irises, and holding his overwhelmingly heavy gaze.

"I'm sorry for lying to you, Eren," he breathes. "It was never a coincidence that I met you."

I can't speak. I'm so mesmerised by his words that I can't think, or do anything. I can hear Levi's voice repeating his sentences over and over in my head like  _"It was all in order for me to meet you",_ _"I realised that it was worth the trouble",_ and the loudest of them all, _"It was never a coincidence that I met you."_ My heart is thrashing in my chest, and I can hear my heartbeat in my ears. I want to say something, something to express my gratitude, but I don't know what. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. I can't think of what to do, so I don't think. I don't think at all.

And before I realise what I'm doing, I can feel the warmth of my lips pressing against Levi's,  _my_ lips kissing Levi.

But what's more is this.

_Levi is kissing me back._


	7. piano duet op. 2, no. 7 "serenity"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ereri fluff, basically. And poetry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY THAT IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I LAST UPDATED! To be honest, I lost interest in writing this fic a long, long time ago, but one day I re-read the chapters I wrote, and all of the super nice comments I received and I suddenly felt motivated to continue this fic again. So, here you go. Chapter 7. I'm sorry for the long wait. I hope it's worth it.

Warmth. All I can feel against my cold, cold lips is warmth.

I forget for a moment where I am, who I’m with, and where that soft, sincere warmth is coming from. Though my eyes are closed, my senses are heightened, and I can feel everything. The breeze coursing through the window, ever-so-slightly blowing the curtains, the sun’s rays beating down just to gently land upon my skin, and finally, the sensation of another’s lips pressing against mine. After a brief moment of serenity, those lips pull away, and my lids hazily open to reveal my surroundings. It is then that I see where I am, who I’m with, and where that warmth came from.

None other than Levi.

As soon as I realise this, my eyes shoot open, and I squirm away on an impulse. I just kissed Levi. On the lips. But… he kissed me back, _didn’t he?_

“I’m sorry!” I blurt before I can bring myself to meet Levi’s eyes. “I-I didn’t… mean to…” My words are spluttered, forming an incomprehensible, tangled mess. I sigh abashedly and try again.

“I didn’t mean to… k-kiss you…” I’m stammering, panicking, “b-but that doesn’t mean I didn’t _want_ to kiss you, I just didn’t think I actually would… a-and besides, I shouldn’t have kissed you without asking, so, I’m so--”

My words are abruptly cut off by Levi. He kisses me.

I give in almost instantly, falling into the kiss. I feel the sensation of it; the warmth, the texture. His lips are soft, and they kiss me kindly, _cautiously,_ as if to make me at ease. It does.

His hands run up my chest slowly, each finger travelling up my torso before finally resting comfortably on the sides of my face. The kiss lingers for a moment longer before Levi peels his lips off mine, caressing my cheeks with his thumbs. Our foreheads are touching now and he’s so close that I can feel his heavy breath on my lips. It sends shivers down my spine.

“It’s _alright,”_ Levi whispers soothingly to me, “you don’t need to apologise. I wanted to kiss you too.”

My breath quakes, and my heart pulses violently in my chest. Levi’s eyes lay intensely on mine, but I struggle to return such an intimate gaze.

“Say, Levi…” I murmur, finally mustering the courage to speak, “what does this mean…. uh, for us?” I feel awkward just saying it.

“For us?”

“Um, uh... well, do you like me?”

Of all my years of expanding my vocabulary and studying complex literature, I have never felt more restricted with my words than I do right now.

Levi smiles lightly, and he takes my hand in his.

_“Of course,”_ he says, as if it’s not even a question. I notice that his eyes are staring down at his lap, and he’s biting down on his bottom lip.

“Do you… like me back?” he timidly asks.

Levi’s nervousness is extremely endearing, but what exactly is he nervous for? Nervous that I will say yes? Or that I will say no? I study his expression longer. As I’m staring into that dreamy face of his, I am reminded of everything that’s happened in no less than a week ago. I remember what he looked like the first time I saw him. Eyes closed, and a smile. Perched in front of a piano, and illuminated in a heaven-like spotlight. Then I remember all of the things that followed: the bar, the phone number, the café – he had planned it all out. All for me.

_Just for me._

As soon as this thought enters my mind, I realise that I’ve had my answer from the very beginning.

I exhale deeply through my mouth, and as my breath escapes from my lips, my nerves disperse along with it. The tension in my shoulders loosen, and a surge of confidence shoots through my entire body.

_He likes me,_ I think to myself. _There’s nothing to be scared of._

And with that, I throw my arms around Levi’s neck.

_“Yes,”_ I smile. “I _do_ like you back.”

Levi looks at me with widened eyes, pleasantly surprised.

“You do…?”

“Yes, of course!” I exclaim, “of course I do!” My voice getting louder each time I say it.

A grin spreads across Levi’s entire face, and before I have the chance to return it, he launches himself at me, pulling me suddenly into his embrace. It startles me at first, but I quickly welcome his warm body on top of mine. He nuzzles his head playfully into my neck, and I feel the bristles of his soft hair brush against my skin.

“That tickles, Levi!” I giggle, and I hear him emit a sound that vaguely resembles a laugh. He pulls away from my chest, not completely, but just enough to look me in the eyes.

“Sorry,” he says, and _god,_ his eyes are sparkling, “I’m just so happy.”

* * *

After about twenty minutes of tender cuddling by the piano, we decided to relocate to Levi’s spotlessly white, king-sized bed, which, like everything else in Levi’s mansion, is bigger than my flat. We lie on our sides facing each other, not doing anything in particular, just talking aimlessly about the most trivial topics. Somewhere along the line, we had found ourselves on the topic of piano, as always. _When do we not?_

“Hold on… so, you’re telling me you were _three_ when you first started playing the piano?”

Levi chuckles, seeming entertained at my bewilderment. Honestly, as if I wasn’t _already_ amazed by his incredible piano playing.

“Well, it’s not like I could play anything _good,_ I only learnt easy pieces like _Twinkle Twinkle Little Star._ And plus, it was my mother that was teaching me,” he insists.

“Still. You probably played better than I do now. And also, does _everyone_ in your family play the piano?”

“Basically. You could say it runs in the family,” Levi says lightly, acting as though it’s nothing to be impressed about. Yet, I am still 100% impressed. “My mother taught me until I turned four, then she enrolled me in proper lessons with professional tutors _(“Wow”, I chime in)_ that my father had personally selected.”

“Geez… that’s intense. Professional tutors at _four?”_ I ask, unable to control the shocked sound in my voice. “What were they like? Were they strict?”

“Uh… for the most part, I don’t really remember.”

"Really? You didn't have any weird teachers or stories?”

“Well, I was quite young. But even more so, I had _waay_ too many teachers for someone that age. I’d say that I had at least a dozen teachers by the time I was ten.”

_“_ A dozen? Why?” I ask out of curiosity.

Levi’s eyes wander a bit.

_“Well,”_ he sighs heavily, “most of my teachers gave up on teaching me. Most of them didn’t want to teach a dyslexic kid.”

“Oh,” I utter, trying to sound as sympathetic as I can manage. It’s not my intention to pry, but I’m bursting with so many questions that I can’t help myself. “But _why?_ I mean, sure you have dyslexia, but you’re still the best pianist I know. Even better than Mikasa! _(Don’t tell her I said that.)_ It might take longer for you to learn certain pieces compared to other pianists, but it’s not impossible, right? You can still play. It’s not like you’re a lost cause.”

Levi sighs again, trying to hide a smile from all the compliments I just threw at him.

“Hypothetically, yes,” he says, “but it’s an absolute necessity to know how to read sheet music. Not only that, but it’s convenient too. Especially for piano competitions when you have to learn pieces in a set time frame…” His words trail away, and his eyes seem to follow.

I rest my hand on his cheek, trying to bring him back to me.

“Hey,” I say, “I don’t mean to sound ignorant, but, I’m sure you’ll manage… I mean, you’ve made it this far, haven’t you?”

I notice his body relax as I say these words, and he, so trustingly, closes his eyes and snuggles into my palm.

“Yeah, you’re right,” he utters, admitting defeat.

The relaxed, blissful expression that he wears now is so sincere and beautiful that I think of how much I want to capture this moment, and all of the feelings in it.

_I wonder if Levi would let me take a picture._

With that thought in mind, I reach for my phone that’s crammed somewhere in my pocket, and after a bit of fidgeting, I finally find it. I glance at the screen and, _oh no._ (4) missed calls. (10) text messages. All from Armin. I unlock my phone and scroll through the texts.

> Hey, Eren. Don’t forget to text me what time you want me to pick you up. Also, how’s the date? _Received at 4:00pm._

> Hey, dude. Sorry, I know that it’s kind of early, but could I pick you up at 5pm? My study group just called me saying that they need me urgently for an assessment that’s due tomorrow, but I said I wasn’t sure if I could come. I told them I’d check with you first. _Received at 4:20pm_  

> If I pick you up at around 5pm, I should be able to make it to my study group in the evening. They _really_ need me, so if you could text me ASAP that would be great. _Received at 4:30pm._

> Eren? _Received at 4:35pm._

> Okay, dude. Ready or not, I’m coming to pick you up now. _Received at 4:40pm._

> I’m here. Where are you? _Received at 5:00pm._

> Bro. This assessment’s due tomorrow. I’m running out of time to help them. _Received at 5:05pm._

> Errrrrreeeeeeennnnnnn. _Received at 5:06pm._

> They’re calling me. I’m gonna have to leave, Eren. I’m really sorry. Mikasa might be able to pick you up if you ask her, or you can try for a taxi if she can’t? I’ll pay for the ride the next time I see you, I swear. _Received at 5:08pm_  

> I’m reeeeally sorry. I hope you make it home safe. x _Received at 5:10pm._

I check my watch. It’s 5:30. _Shit._ I’ve missed him by 20 minutes. He would be halfway to the study group by now, I can’t make him turn back. _Especially_ considering how important studies are to Armin.

_Shit._ How will I get home? Armin will stay all night if that’s how long it will take to finish an assignment. I don’t have taxi money, and I doubt Mikasa will be able to pick me up.

_Shit, shit, shit._

I’m saying this over and over again in my head, but Levi’s giving me such a concerned look that I’m convinced I’m saying it out loud as well.

“What’s the matter, Eren?” he asks, his voice reeking of worry. Bless him.

“Ah…” I scratch the back of my head to make light of the situation, “I forgot to text Armin when to pick me up, and now I’m not sure how I’m going to get home… haha.”

I force half-hearted laughter in an attempt to sound relaxed, even though it's very clear that I am not relaxed.

Without any hesitance, and in almost a sense of casualness, I hear Levi say this:

“Where do you live? I can give you a ride.”

“Er… uh, what?” For some reason, that was a solution that didn’t care to cross my narrow mind.

“I can drive you, if you like.”

_“Really?”_

“Yes, really.”

“Would that be okay? I mean, it wouldn’t cause you any trouble?”

“No, of course not. You live in the city, right? That’s not far,” Levi says nonchalantly, “and _besides…_ ” His tone of voice suddenly becomes soft. “I want to make sure that you, my uh, partn—” he clears his throat, _“boyfriend_ gets home safely.” He says it so meekly that I might have mistaken us for hopeless high school romantics. Even so, I find myself blushing nonetheless.

“Thank you,” I say softly. “Can I make up for it somehow?”

Levi shakes his head. “You needn’t do that. However… there is something _else_ I’d like to do before you leave, if you don’t mind.”

_Oh?_

I look at him curiously. “And what is that?”

Levi pauses, inhaling softly.

“Could… could you read to me?” he starts. “Any genre is fine. Just one chapter, before you go.”

I sigh a little, unable to conceal a smile.

“Levi, I’d love to, but I don’t have a book on me. I can go home and choose one for you though, then I could read it to you another time?” I suggest.

A grin appears on Levi’s face, indicating that he has something else planned.

Levi holds out his hand.

“Come with me. There’s still something I haven’t shown you yet.”

* * *

Whatever it is that’s in front of me at this point in time is currently obscured by the darkness of my eyelids. Levi insisted that I keep my eyes closed so that I wouldn’t be be able to sneak even the smallest of peaks at the surprise he has in store for me. I’ve been closing my eyes like this for what seems like forever, though the fact that my eyes are closed doesn’t really matter anyway, because even if I did open them, Levi still has his hands sheltering my face.

“Can I look now?” I ask excitedly, but with a hint of impatience in my voice. As soon as I say this, as if granting my wish, Levi lifts the weight of his hands from my face, allowing me to squint my eyes open and absorb the view that’s in front of me.

A library.

And holy _shit_ is it a good one.

Before me lies thousands upon thousands of books and bookcases, stacked impossibly (and impractically) high throughout the entire room. Bookshelves line the walls of the library, making it seem as though the entire building is drowning within it pages. Books are scattered messily, yet artistically across the carpet, and overall, it has a comfortably enticing vibe to it. To my surprise, it has a much more Victorian and rustic appearance, as opposed to the rest of the mansion’s modern interior.

If it’s difficult to imagine, picture the library from Beauty and the Beast and that’s essentially it.

It takes me a while to process it all. _Goddamn._ How is it possible for someone who can’t read to have this many books?

“This library has existed for many generations in my family,” Levi says, somehow reading my mind. “While the rest of the mansion has undergone numerous renovations and refurbishments, this room has mostly stayed the same.”

That explains a lot.

Levi smiles. “Come in. Take a look,” he cordially summons me, and with that final invitation, I rush inside. As I frolic through the library, I catch glimpses of familiar writers. Oscar Wilde, William Shakespeare, George Orwell. I see titles I've read and titles I haven't read. I even see the titles that Levi said he hadn't read just hours ago. On top of that, there are books from all sorts of genres, including ones I've never so much as touched before. Adventure, comedy, crime, fantasy, horror, romance, tragedy...

I can hear Levi striding proudly behind me as I twirl around in absolute awe. While I can't see his face, I can just imagine the confident expression that's on his face right now.

“Well?” he says smugly. “Do you like what you see?”

I feel a smile coming on. _Of course I do._

“This is unbelievable,” I say, still finding it all very surreal, “I love it.”

Levi smiles shyly, bashfully looking down at the ground. “I hoped you would.”

I do nothing but smile back. He really _is_ full of surprises.

Levi clears his throat suddenly, interrupting my pointless thoughts.

“Um...” he starts, rubbing his arm, “have you found a book yet?”

I had almost forgotten why we were here in the first place, but _luckily,_ just as he says this, my eyes spot a little, fragile-looking book sitting behind Levi’s head. I reach toward it, carefully handling its spine as I remove it from its shelf. I dust off the cover and hold it in my hands. _The Poetry of Edgar Allan Poe_ , it reads.

I hold the book in front of Levi. _“This,”_ I say to him, “I want to read this to you.”

He looks down to the book, then back to me. He doesn’t seem to recognise it.

“Okay. Let’s do it.”

We make our way back to the room, with Levi’s hand in mine, and the book in the other. When we finally arrive, I prop myself on the bed and pat the area between my legs, inviting Levi over. Without any reluctance, he joins me, sliding his body onto mine. I reach my arms around his waist to hold the book just slightly in front of his chest so that we can both see the words. Though I guess it doesn’t really matter whether or not he can see them.

His body leaning back on me is a pleasantly comforting feeling. It somehow seems familiar to me, despite this being the first time we’ve been in a position like this.

“Ready?” I ask, practically whispering it in his ear. He nods.

I flip through the pages, trying to find the specific poem I want, then _a-ha!_ I spot it.

I clear my throat and mentally prepare for what I’m about to do. I haven’t read to anyone aloud before, at least, not anyone that isn’t me. For some reason, I’m nervous. Just a little nervous, but I attempt to shake it off.

_I’m reading for Levi, because he wants me to._

The thought of it brings at me ease.

I inhale, and I begin to read, slowly, and articulately.

 

_“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,_

_Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—_

_While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,_

_As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door._

_“’Tis some visitor”, I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—_

_Only this and nothing more.""_


End file.
